82 JOURNAL AND PROCEEDINGS 



grow to an amazing size, and would be very unwelcome guests in 

 our flower and kitchen gardens, as they commit great havoc among 

 the esculent plants. You will better realize this fact when I state 

 .that one species, Archatina Zebra, is very frequently found meas- 

 uring seven inches from apex to base of shell. 



When shells are found with the animal alive in them, boiling 

 water should be poured upon them. The animal may then be 

 easily taken from bivalves, but caution is required with the 

 univalves, as should part of it be left in the volutions, it will be 

 almost impossible to extract it, and to prevent the shell from be- 

 coming offensive it would be necessary to leave it for a consid- 

 erable time in alcohol, where too long an immersion might change 

 the colour of the shell somewhat. I have also heard the use of 

 salt mentioned as a means for killing the occupants of land 

 shells, but have not tried the process myself. Shells of any size 

 should be oiled, not varnished, to preserve the natural color and 

 to keep the epidermis from cracking. Worn and old shells may be 

 restored almost to their original beauty by this means. 



The Rev. Geo. W. Taylor, now of Billings Bridge, near Ottawa, 

 lately of Victoria, B. C., has very kindly named all the shells I took 

 last season, and some I have already added to my list this year. 

 Mr. Taylor is also an Entomologist of some standing. In one of his 

 letters to me, he says : — " I have collected for some years on the 

 " Pacific Coast, and am now collecting here, so that your shells from 

 " an intermediate station are very interesting to me. The number 

 "of Canadian land and fresh water shells known to me is as follows : 

 "fresh-water bivalves, 72 species; fresh-water univalves (operculate) 

 "13 species (non-operculate) 45 species ; land shells, 82 species — total 

 "212. No doubt many additions will yet be made, and your posi- 

 " tion is an especially favorable one." In another letter he remarks : 

 " your collection is interesting, but I notice it is deficient in the 

 " small land shells. Look carefully under leaves, amongst ruins, in 

 " woods and under logs everywhere, and you will find lots of treas- 

 " ures. Take a long series of fresh water shells from every piece of 

 " water you come to, and I have no doubt you will add to the Can- 

 " adian list." Again he says : — " land shells can be named without 

 " much trouble, but fresh water shells are much more difficult to deter- 



